Lions turn once again to receiver Paris Jackson

Thursday, July 11, 2013

By Mike Beamish, Vancouver Sun

B.C. Lions wide receiver Paris Jackson makes a reception during practice on Tuesday November 15, 2011. Jackson finally has a chance to start at slotback again Saturday as the B.C. Lions visit the Edmonton Eskimos in CFL action.

Photographed by:Darryl Dyck, THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER — While the B.C. Lions can usually toss off a classic line from Casablanca -- “We’ll always have Paris” -- they almost lost the classic receiver this week.

Slated for his first starting role since game No. 18 of the 2011 Canadian Football League season, Paris Jackson was laid out by rookie safety Matt McGarva in practice for Saturday’s game in Edmonton against the Eskimos.

Already minus Shawn Gore, whose concussion-like symptoms are the reason Jackson is getting an unaccustomed start, the Lions saw McGarva pop the veteran receiver, who went down in a heap and was slow to get up.

McGarva quickly earned a reputation in training camp for his smarts and aggressive play, but the collision was ill-timed, if not intentional, and nobody felt worse about it than the rookie from the Windsor Lancers. McGarva went to high school at Lord Tweedsmuir in Cloverdale, and he is well aware of Jackson’s status within the Lions’ organization and the greater Vancouver sports community.

“I noticed there was going to be a collision and I tried to back out of it,” McGarva explained. “Paris was coming from one side, J.R. LaRose from another, and I could see it coming. I tried to catch Paris but we hit and he went down. Obviously, I felt bad. I never want to hit guys when they’re in that (vulnerable) situation.”

Gore was similarly exposed in last Friday’s game against the Toronto Argos when defender Janzen Jackson caught him with his head down and went through him like a runaway train -- Dick (Night Train) Lane. Knocked woozy, Gore was forced to leave the game.

Enter Paris Jackson, who made four catches for 30 yards as Gore’s replacement and showed flashes of the player he was in his salad days, 2006-2010, when he averaged 66 catches a season and surpassed 1,000 yards twice, falling short by 38 yards on a third occasion.

On Saturday, Jackson will be a starting slotback for the first time since . . . well, it seems like donkey’s years. He started in place of an injured Akeem Foster for the final two games of the 2011 season, but that was a wide receiver position on the far side of the field which usually doesn’t see a lot of action. Still, he scored a spectacular 51-yard touchdown on a throw from Travis Lulay, against the Eskimos, on Oct. 29, 2011. That was the last of his 31 career touchdowns.

“It’s nice to get this chance to start and go out there and showcase my talent,” said Jackson, who turns 33 in 12 days’ time. “I’m in a bigger role than when I last got to start. Shawn Gore gets a lot of the balls. He’s our No. 1 Canadian receiver. For me to step into his place, and for them (offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine) not to change the offence because I’m in there, shows, to me, that they recognize how much time I’ve put in, training in the offseason. When the ball’s in the air, I’m going to come down with it, no matter what.”

Just 16 days ago, in the season opener against the Calgary Stampeders, Jackson was on the field for all of two plays, both involving special teams. The Stamps and Lions combined for 150 plays in total.

Yet, even in that extremely limited role, Jackson’s actions revealed his strengths. He was a former great player, reduced to a minor part, but rookies such as McGarva took heart from a veteran who spoke to them through his actions. He reminded them that no contribution is too small on a football team. And the only people who mattered, for the next three hours, were the people who judged you in that locker room.

“Years ago, he was The Man here,” McGarva said. “He’s been banged up and stuff (knee issues), and he’s had to take a step back. But he’s healthy now, and he knows this offence better than anyone. He’s definitely a leader. He’s one of those veterans who sets the tone for the day. He gets the tempo up, makes sure things are intense. It impresses me how much he knows, and how willing he is to help the young guys.”

With Geroy Simon and Arland Bruce gone, and a youth movement afoot, Jackson could start to look a little like a lost soul. Fortunately, he continues to believe he is still capable of making big plays precisely then they are needed.

He is aware, however, that he represents the Lions’ past, their current circumstance but not their future. Thus, Jackson savours the chance to start Saturday, especially after the mid-week practice collision that might have taken it away from him.

“He’s (McGarva) a good kid,” he said. “He gave me a good shot in the chin. I didn’t have my helmet on right. I know he wasn’t intentionally trying to hurt me. This is part of the game, even in practice, where you’re competing every single day. I’m lucky I didn’t get hurt enough to miss this game. Actually, it woke me up. Hey, when we’re in Edmonton, I expect to get hit like that when I cross the middle.”

That was the way it was when Paris Jackson was in the prime of his football life, and it feels good to know that he matters again.